Just two weeks ago off the coast of Japan’s eastern region, another earthquake and
subsequent tsunami hit the home to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant amidst a nuclear cleanup effort. Although no damage was reported from
this tsunami, the news underscores fears that the risks of the cleanup effort—both
foreseeable and unpredictable—threaten the nuclear power plant’s safe removal
of nuclear rods, disposal of contaminated water and decommissioning. It seems
that the delicate cleanup effort is far from over.
The Fukushima nuclear power plant was first hit in March
2011 by an earthquake and subsequent 13-meter-tall tsunami, causing equipment
failures that compromised the flow of coolant to the plant’s nuclear reactors. Later
efforts to supply the plant with power in order to generate the continuous flow
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| Fukushima evacuation measures |
of coolant failed, releasing toxic radiation into the Pacific Ocean and the
surrounding areas. These events constitute the worst nuclear disaster since
Chernobyl in 1986, as current radiation levels reach up to 30% of those of
Chernobyl and left 18,000 people dead or missing.
Last month, unexpectedly heavy rains hit the eastern coast
of Japan, resulting in serious environmental and health impacts and the
evacuation of roughly 300,000 people from the area. Excess rainfall caused tons
of contaminated water from the plant’s cooling system to overflow into the
Pacific Ocean. While the full extent of the damage is not yet known, the
initial meltdowns in 2011 followed by a string of incidents leading up to the
toxic spill have ignited fresh concerns over Japan’s nuclear future and the
clean-up plan for Fukushima.
